Time of day tab card punch mechanism



July 13, 1965 N. B. WALES, JR 3,195,144

TIME OF DAY TAB CARD PUNCH MECHANISM Tuc l- Filed Oct. 30, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

July 13, 1965 B. WALES, JR

TIME OF DAY TAB CARD PUNCH MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 30, 1963 INVENTOR.

mud/5.4144 p July 13, 1965 N. B. WALES, JR

TIME OF DAY TAB CARD PUNCH MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed OCT,- 30, 1965 16 if 34" g; T 1 E1-4 H INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,195,144 TIME 0F DAY TAB CARD PUNUH MEQHANHSM Nathaniel B. Wales, in, Sharon, Conn, assignor to Business Research and Engineering Corporation, Ardmare, Pa, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 320,010 3 Claims. (Cl. 346-82) This invention relates to a clock mechanism adapted to control the setting of a selected group of punches in a mechanical tab card punch, such as that disclosed in US. Patent #3,008,632, in such a way that operation of the machine will cause the time of day to be punched as digital information into the selected columns of the tab card.

For this application, it is desirable to express the time of day as a four digit decimal number proceeding from midnight at 00.00 to the hundredth of a minute before midnight at 23.99, and then recycling to 00.00. This digital time representation thus requires a source of repetitive actuation timed to occur at 36 second intervals, together with a four decimal digit accumulating counter which will reset itself to Zero in the 36 second interval between 23.99 and 00.00.

The present invention accomplishes the foregoing objective by providing four linearly slideable ratchet plates each having ten ratchet positions and which at all times form stops for four corresponding columns of punch slides. Thus, during the punching cycle, and prior to punching, the four punch slides are each made to interrogate or seek the position of its corresponding ratchet stop plate by individual linear springs, so that when punching is subsequently eifected, the positions of the four punches will representthe four time digits.

In this invention an alternating current synchronous electric clock motor is provided with a gear reduction such as to yield a 36 second period of rotation of a crank, which, in turn, is made to oscillate a set of four in dividual drive pawls corresponding to the foregoing four slideable ratchet plates.

This invention teaches that the lowest order drive pawl or hour pawl will drive its associated ratchet plate at evenly spaced intervals without restraint. The remaining threehigher order pawls, however, are provided with cam restraints which allow them to drive their corresponding ratchet plates only when the next lower order ratchet plate is in a predetermined position, such as that corresponding to a 9 or to a 3. Also, the ratchets are restrained from driving until the last hour of each hour. In this way a simultaneous carry is provided for this accumulating register, in contradistinction to 'a propagating type of carry.

In order to accumulate the driving pawl oscillatory displacement, a toggle type holding pawl is provided for each ratchet plate, together with a corresponding linear bias spring which tends to return each ratchet plate to the zero position. Cam means integral with each ratchet plate are also provided to disengage the corresponding holding pawl as the ratchet plate advances beyond the 9 position so as to allow the ratchet plate to reset itself by means of the foregoing bias spring to the 0 position, where the holding pawl is re-engaged to start a new counting cycle.

Mechanical logic is also provided to suppress the carry from the unit hour ratchet plate 3 position until the tens of hours ratchet plate has advanced to its 2 position,

and to reset the units plate to 0 at the same time the tens plate returns to zero.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide an automatic reliable time of day input device for tab card punches, which will not interefere with the opera 3,195,144 Patented July 13, 1965 "Ice tion of the punches, and which can be manufactured economically.

Another object of the invention is to provide a geometry of time of day digital input device which will fit within the available space of an existing design of tab card punch, and be mechanically compatible therewith.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive tab card recording device which will simul taneously register on the card the time of day, identification number of the operator, automatically picked up from an input card, a body of preset information, and a word of variable information set into the device manually by the operator.

For other objects and a clearer understanding of the subject invention reference may be had to the following detailed specification to be taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the preferred form of my invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional View taken through the plane 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse partial vertical View taken through the plane 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged transverse partial vertical view taken through the plane 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged transverse partial vertical view taken through plane 55 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged view through 66 of FIG- URE 1.

Referring to the drawings, in FIGURES 1 and 2 it may be seen that a base plate 15 is provided with two integral vertical side plates 16 and 17 between which is supported and secured a U shaped clock chassis plate 18.

Four ratchet plates 19, 20, 21, and 22 are provided to register increments of 10 hours, 1 hour, hour, and V hour respectively. Plates 19, 20, 21, and 22 are each independently slideably secured to clock chassis plate by means of posts 23 and 24 acting in a guide slot 25 in each said ratchet plate. Posts 23 and 24 are riveted at one end to chassis plate 18. Separators 26, 27, 28, 29, and 30 are retained by one or both of posts 23 and 24, and are interspaced about or between the ratchet plates 19, 2t), 21, and 22 to form a sandwich assembly which is secured together by the snap rings 31 at the ends of posts 23 and 24 remote from chassis plate Separator 28 dififers from the other identical separators in that it is used also as a mechanical logic lever capable of pivoting about post 24, as will be later described.

Ratchet plates 19, 20, 21, and 22 are each provided with a plurality of ratchet teeth 32, and a staggered set of manual setting handles 33, 34, 35, and 36 respectively.

The lowest of tens ratchet plate 19 is shown in its 0 position and is provided with a stop finger 37 which depends downwardly through an aperture 41 in chassis 18 to form a stop member capable of defining the value which its corresponding punch will register. Similarly, in staggered non-interfering array ratchet plates 21 21, and 22 are provided with the corresponding stop fingers 38, 3 and 40, each of which depend equally through aperture 41.

In order to bias each of slideable ratchet plates 19, 20, 21, and 22 so that it will constantly tend to return to its zero, or home, position, a corresponding set of light tension springs 42, 43, 44, and 45, each anchored to the chassis at one end by means of anchor tab 46, and at the other end to a corresponding ratchet plate finger 47, 48, 49, and 50, respectively.

The holding pawl system (FIG. 5 and FIG. 1) consists of four pawls 51, 52, 53, and, 54 which are pivoted on stud 64 riveted to chassis 18 and each of which may engage the ratchet teeth 32 of ratchet plates 19, 20, 21 or 22, respectively. Each holding pawl 51, 52, 53 or 54 is biased by an over-center leaf toggle comprising spring 55 of the bow type formed out of spring ribbon, and so formed as to press between a spring post 56 riveted to chassis 18 and its corresponding holding pawl.

Consequently, each holding pawl tends either to press against the ratchet teeth 32, or, if toggled beyond .the overcenter position, to remain positively disengaged from teeth 32.

Each pawl 51, 52, 53 and 54 is provided with an offset control arm 59, 60, 61, or 62 respectively, the outer end of which enters an aperture 63 in the corresponding ratchet plate. The longitudinal ends of each aperture 63 form cam actuating elements which cooperate with the ends of pawl control arms 59, 68, 61, and 62 so that the act of driving ratchet plates 20, 21, or 22 past its 9 position, or the act of driving ratchet plate 19 past its 2 position will disengage the corresponding holding pawl 52, 53, 54 or 51, respectively, to a stable disengaged position, thereby allowing the corresponding bias spring 42, g

- tooth 32. Thus, when plate 22 is in any of the positions 43, 44, or 45 to return that ratchet plate to the Zero posi-' tion. As any ratchet plate approaches the zero or home position under spring return action, the corresponding end of its aperture 63 will toggle its spring 55 to reset the corresponding holding pawl from its disengaged to its en- H gaged position, thereby restoring each ratchet plate to a condition capable of a new ratchet advance.

A manual reset lever (not shown for clarity) may be provided to simultaneously disengage all four holding pawls 51, 52, 53 and 54 from teeth 32 for the purpose of N manually setting the clock mechanism to the time of day.

The ratchet drive system comprises a synchronous electric timing motor and reducing gear train 65, which is secured to the lower side of chassis 18 by screws 66, and

* a carry displacement.

which has an output shaft 67 designed to rotate once every an additional constraint is imposed on drive arms 75 and 36 seconds when excited by its specified frequency and voltage of alternating current.

Shaft 67 is provided with a crank arm 68 which emerges through a hole 69 in chassis 18. The rotary motion of arm 68 is converted into an oscillatory angulation of a bell crank 70 by link 71 which is pivotally secured to arm 68 by stud 72 and to bell crank 70 by stud 73. Bell crank 78 is pivotally secured to chassis 18 by a stud 74.

Four driving pawl arms 75, 76, 77, and 78 are pivotally journalled to bell crank 78 by means of stud 79, and these pawl arms are individually urged into engagement with the ratchet teeth 32 of ratchet plates 19, 28, 21, and 22, respectively, by means of the four tension springs 89 which extend between the common spring anchor post 81 and the corresponding pawl arms.

In the extreme or home position shown in FIG. 1, all four driving pawl members 75, 76, 77, and 78 have been withdrawn to the end of their stroke towards the motor end of chassis 18. Due to the provision on each driving pawl member of a cam surface 82 which can engage a fixed cam post 83, each pawl member will have its driving pawl 84 positively withdrawn from the trajectory of ratchet teeth 32, thereby permitting resetting of any ratchet plate 19, 20', 21, or 22 to occur if its corresponding holding pawl 51, 52, 53101 54 has also been disengaged from ratchet teeth 32.

The proportions of crank 68 and bell crank 76 are chosen so as to provide a reciprocating stroke to each of the pawl members 75, 76, 77 and 78 which is approximately 1 /2 times the pitch of the ratchet teeth 32. Thus, under the urging of springs 80, the design preferably provides that the first of the said stroke will allow cam surfaces 82 to slide off and away from cam stud 83 therel teeth pitch, and the final of the stroke is devoted to overthrow, to guarantee reliable operation in spite of tolerance variations to be expected in any mass produced machine.

The lowest order driving pawl 78 is uncontrolled, in that it is never inhibited from driving its ratchet plate on every reciprocation of the bell crank 78. However, each higher order of driving pawl 77, 76, and 75 is provided with a control finger 85, 86, and 87 respectively (FIG. 3) each of which bears against the surface 88 of the aperture 63 in the next lower order of ratchet plate. Thus, the tenths of an hour drive pawl 77 whose pawl 84 drives hour ratchet plate 21 has a control finger 85 which bears against the surface 88 of the hundredths of an hour ratchet plate 22. Surface 88 is located in such a plane as to prevent a pawl 84 from engaging teeth 32 when the corresponding control finger 85, 86, or 87 is bearing against it. However, a notch 89 is provided in each surface 88 of ratchet plates 20, 21 and 22 in such al ocation that when any one is in the nines position, this notch will permit entry of the corresponding finger 85, 86 or 87 into the notch, thereby permitting the corresponding drive pawl 84 to enter and engage the corresponding ratchet from zero to eight, pawl arm 77 reciprocates without engaging the teeth 32 of ratchet plate 21. However, when hour ratchet plate 21 reaches the nines position, its carry notch 89 permits control finger 85 to enter and thereby causes pawl 84 of arm 77 to engage a tooth 32 and to drive plate 21 one step forward to effect a carry operation of this four decade counter.

Similarly, when plate 21 reaches the nines position its carry notch 89 permits pawl arm 76 to drive plate 20 into In like manner, when plate 28 reaches its nines position it allows control arm 87 to enter a carry notch 89 thereby causing pawl arm 75 to drive plate 19 one step forward.

In order to guarantee a simultaneous carry operation,

76 in the form of a finger 90 (FIG. 5) integral with pawl arm 7'7. Finger 98 prevents arms 75 or 76 from driving their respective ratchet plates until the hour plate 22 reaches its 9 position, thereby permitting pawl arm 77 to engage teeth 32and simultaneously releasing arms 75 and In order to provide the means for resetting all four ratchet plates 19, 20, 21, and 22 at the interval following registration of 23.99 hours, representing the end of a day, a special carry notch' 91 is provided at the 3 hour position in surface 88 of ratchet plate 28. It is evident, however, that additional means to disable the carry action of notch 91 must be provided during the two ten hour periods from 00.00 hours to 20.00 hours during which the tens ratchet plate must progress through a normal decade count having its carry in the 9 position and not in the 3 position. This inhibiting means is provided by a lever 27 which is pivoted on stud 24 and biased by a spring 92 secured to a chassis mounted post 93 so as to tend to rotate clockwise as seen in FIG. 1 to a position which blocks the entry of control finger 87 (FIG. 3) into the special carry notch 91.

Lever 27 is provided with a pin 94 which rides on either or both of the surfaces 95 of ratchet plates 19 and by allowing any drive pawl member not otherwise inhibited to engage the immediately available ratchet tooth 32. The next /3 of the stroke is devoted to the transport ratchet teeth 32, thereby permitting resetting of any 20. Furthermore, surface 95 of units ratchet plate 20 is provided with a notch 96 which registers with pin 94 when plate 20 is in the 3 hours position, while surface 95 of tens ratchet plate 19 is provided with a notch 97 which registers with pin 94 when tens ratchet plate 19 is in either its 0 or l0 hour position. As a consequence of this mechanical logic, lever 27 will block the third hour carry action of notch'91 during the 20 hour period from 00.00 hours to 20.00 hours, but will permit control finger 87 to enter notch 91 and effect the end of day carry during the 36 second interval following 23.99 hours.

It is to be noted that the positions shown in FIG. 1

with respect to ratchet plates 20, 21, and 22 could only exist momentarily since holding pawls 52, 53, and 54, and also the drive pawls 84 have been all disengaged from teeth 32 so that nothing is preventing their plates from returning to the zero position under the urging of springs 33, 34 and 35 respectively.

In FIG. 6 it may be seen that a finger 99 integral with holding pawl 52 guanantees that whenever holding pawl 51 is disengaged from its teeth 32 during a reset operation, it will always carry pawl 52 into disengagement with it. This provision assumes that when the end of aperture 63 in tens of hours ratchet plate 19 positively disengages pawl 51 from teeth 32 at the reset time 23.99 it will also disengage pawl 52, which normally could not be disengaged until plate 20 had reached its 9 position.

The card punch which the subject time-of-day mechanism, in part, controls may be seen in FIGURES 2 and 4, and is generic from the punch shown in US. Patent #3,008,632. This punch is provided with a plurality of punch numbers 100 each having punches 101 and punch guide pins 102. Punch members 100 are each slideably guided by an elongated slot 103 therein, which embraces two synchronized eccentric guide cams 104 journalled in side plates 16 and 17.

An eg -crate type die is provided consisting of a grid of column plates 116 and row bars 117 which are suitably secured to base plate 15. In addition, a set of parallel punch locating cam plates 118 secured at its ends to die 116417 are provided with locating apertures 119 adapted to receive and locate guide pins 102 of punches 101 when eccentrics 104 lower members 100.

A vertical slot 105 in each punch member 100 is engaged by a stud 106 secured to a corresponding positioning lever 107 for each member 100, all the levers 107 being coaxially journalled on a shaft 108.

A gear segment 109 integral with each lever 107 engages a mating gear segment 110 integral with a corresponding bell crank 111 each of which is journalled on fixed shaft 112.

For each bell crank 111, there is provided a tension spring 113 which extends between an ear 114 integral with crank 111 and a spring anchor post 115 which is secured to the base plate 15.

Consequently, spring 113 exerts a clockwise (FIG. 2) torque on crank 111 which in turn exerts a counter clockwise torque on lever 107, due to intermeshing gear segments 110 and 109. The foregoing torque on any lever 107 tends to slide the corresponding punch member 100 to the left (FIG. 2) so that it will scan through the possible die punching positions corresponding to cam apertures 119.

However, the four punch slide members 100 which are devoted to the punching of the four time-of-day digits are each equipped with a stop plate 120 which is secured (by riveting, for instance) thereto.

Plates 120 each lie in the plane of one of the stop fingers 37, 30, 39, or 40. Consequently, when the four time-of-day punch members 100 are drawn to the left by the corresponding springs 113 they will each proceed until stopped by the abutment of a stop plate 120 against one of the stop fingers 37, 38, 39, or 40 thereby setting up the correct punch pattern for punching these four decimal digits into a tab card 121 which has been inserted in the slot 120 intervening between cam plates 118 and the die members 116 and 117.

A key 122 in shaft 108, acting in a cut-out 123 in lever 107, allows all of the slide members 100 to be returned to the home position (FIG. 2) by a clockwise rotation of shaft 108 against the forces of springs 113, or, conversely, a counter clockwise displacement of shaft 108 and key 122 will permit the seeking action of slides 100 under the urging of springs 113.

It is to be noted that as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 there are provided three varieties of control lever 107, namely: type A, which are the four time of day levers 107 associated with stop plates 120; type B, which are spring driven seeking levers 107 for picking up information from a perforated identification card; and type C, which are 107 type levers provided with a manual setting extension 124, and for which the corresponding springs 113 are omitted.

The manually operated mechanism which controls and sequences the operation of eccentrics 104 and shaft 108 has been omitted for clarity in the present case, since such mechanisms are detailed in US. Patent #3,008,632.

The operation of the subject invention is as follows: pawls 51, 52, 53, 54-, and 84 are manually disengaged from the four ratchet plates 19, 20, 21, and 22 thereby allowing their return to the 00.00 or home position. The holding pawls 51, 52, 53 and 54 are then permitted to re-engage teeth 32. The foregoing ratchet plates may now be manually set to the correct time of day by means of setting handles 33, 34, 35, and 36.

Electric clock 65 is now energized, thereby initiating the counting and carrying operation detailed in the foregoing specification, and thereby maintaining positioning stop fingers 37, 38, 39, and 40 at punching positions corresponding to the time of day.

Manual setting levers 124 are then set to the desired values, and a tab card 121 is inserted into slot 120. If the machine is to pick up information from a perforated identification card as described in the referenced patent, this card should be inserted in the machine at this time for reading by control levers 10713.

The machine is now cycled, causing key 122 to be displaced counter clockwise (FIG. 2) thereby releasing the four levers 107 A to move under the force of individual springs 113 until each is stopped by the abutment of a plate 120 against a stop finger 37, 38, 39, or 40. Simultaneously, spring driven control levers 107B are permitted to read and register the information on their identification card.

Eccentric cams 104 are now synchronously rotated so as to force all of pins 102 to enter the nearest cam locating aperture 119. Further rotation of eccentrics 104 then causes punching of all three types of information, A, B, and C, into tab card 121.

The cycle of the machine then reverses the action of cams 104 thereby withdrawing the punches 101, and restoring all of the A and B slides to the home position, while restoring selected ones of the C type manual slides 100 to their home position.

Interlocks, not shown here but detailed in a pending application filed April 14, 1964, S.N. 359,620, entitled Card Reading Card Punch, may be provided to prevent the cycling or punching of the machine if a ratchet advancing or resetting or carrying operation by plates 19, 20, 21, or 22 transiently causes slides 100 to be in an improper punching position at the moment the machine cycle is manually attempted.

It is to be understood that many changes may be made by those skilled in the art within the spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the invention is defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A digital clock comprising: a chassis; a synchronous electric motor secured to said chassis; a first plurality of ratchet plates slideably secured to said chassis for parallel motion relative thereto and arranged in a consecutive series of digital orders; a second plurality of drive pawl members corresponding to said first plurality of ratchet plates and proximate thereto; a plurality of ratchet teeth secured to each of said ratchet plates; drive means actuated by said synchronous motor to simultaneously reciprocate said drive pawl members in a direction parallel to said parallel ratchet plate motion; a third plurality of holding pawls each pivotally secured to said chassis and each adapted to engage the said ratchet teeth of one of said ratchet plates; first spring means to urge each of said holding pawls into engagement with its ratchet plate teeth; means to disable said first spring means for each i of said holding pawls; second spring means to urge each of said ratchet plates in a common direction toward a home position; third spring means to urge each of said drive pawl members into engagement with its corresponding said ratchet teeth; cam means to disengage each of said drive pawl members from engagement with its ratchet teeth at the beginning of each reciprocation drive stroke; means responsive to the position of the next lower order said ratchet plate to disable the engagement of each said drive pawl member with its corresponding said ratchet plate teeth; and means responsive to the position of each of said ratchet plates to actuate the corresponding said first spring disabling means.

2. In a clock as defined by claim 1, automatic means to reset all of said ratchet plates to their said home position at the end of each period of time equal to a predetermined interval.

' 3. In a card punch provided with a clock as defined in claim 2, the combination comprising: a plurality of sliding punch members corresponding to the said plurality of ratchet plates; a stop finger secured to each of said ratchet plates; a stop member secured to each of said punch slide members adapted to abut against the corresponding said stop finger; and means to apply a spring force to said sliding punch members whereby to bring said stop members into abutment with said stop fingers.

References (Jilted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DIGITAL CLOCK COMPRISING: A CHASSIS; A SYNCHRONOUS ELECTRIC MOTOR SECURED TO SAID CHASSIS; A FIRST PLURALITY OF RATCHET PLATES SLIDEABLY SECURED TO SAID CHASSIS FOR PARALLEL MOTION RELATIVE THERETO AND ARRANGED IN A CONSECUTIVE SERIES OF DIGITAL ORDERS; A SECOND PLURALITY OF DRIVE PAWL MEMBERS CORRESPONDING TO SAID FIRST PLURALITY OF RATCHET PLATES AND PROXIMATE THERETO; A PLURALITY OF RATCHET TEETH SECURED TO EACH OF SAID RATCHET PLATES; DRIVE MEANS ACTUATED BY SAID SYNCHRONOUS MOTOR TO SIMULTANEOUSLY RECIPROCATE SAID DRIVE PAWL MEMBERS IN A DIRECTION PARALLEL TO SAID PARALLEL RATCHET PLATE MOTION; A THIRD PLURALITY OF HOLDING PAWALS EACH PIVOTALLY SECURED TO SAID CHASSIS AND EACH ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE SAID RATCHET TEETH OF ONE OF SAID RATCHET PLATES; FIRST SPRING MEANS TGO URGE EACH OF SAID HOLDING PAWLS INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH ITS RATCHED PLATE TEETH; MEANS TO DISABLE SAID FIRST SPRING MEANS FOR EACH OF SAID HOLDING PAWLS; SECOND SPRING MEANS TO URGE EACH 